Africa: Anti-corruption Measures

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether, as part of the initiatives they are taking on Africa, they have had discussions with major United Kingdom-based companies operating in African countries about increasing transparency and reducing corruption; and, in particular, whether they have persuaded any of those companies to accord with the Publish What You Pay protocol.

Baroness Amos: The Department for International Development (DfID) has discussed, and continues to discuss, the issues of increasing transparency and accountability in Africa with many UK-based companies. In particular, DfID regularly consults companies such as BP, Shell, Anglo-American, Rio Tinto, a coalition of investors lead by F&C Asset Management, and numerous other companies on this issue.
	All of those companies are active participants in the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), which was launched by the Prime Minister in 2002, partly in response to the Publish What You Pay campaign. Twelve countries in Africa have either endorsed, or are implementing the EITI, and as such all oil, gas, and mining companies operating in these countries will eventually be required to make available details of all payments made to those governments.
	With the infrastructure sector, DfID and other government departments have recently initiated a private/public sector anti-corruption partnership to promote best practice in the sector. This partnership will help promote awareness of the UK law on bribing overseas officials as well as the procedures in place in the UK and in UK embassies and high commissions for reporting demanded bribes.
	Separately, as part of the Government's efforts to raise awareness of the risks of foreign bribery and corruption, DfID has held information events for the UK business community in Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa, as well as other countries outside Africa.

Badgers

Baroness Byford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Mr Jim Knight, on 26 May (HC Deb, 179–180W), how many responses were received on the consultation about licensing responsibilities under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992.

Lord Bach: The department received 50 responses to the consultation on licensing procedures for England under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992. A summary of responses is expected to be published in July.

Cabinet Office: Responsibility for Public Bodies

Baroness Wilcox: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Which public bodies the Cabinet Office is currently responsible for; and which it was responsible for in 1997.

Lord Brabazon of Tara: The Cabinet Office is currently responsible for 11 public bodies:
	Advisory Committee on Advertising
	Advisory Committee on Business Appointments
	Advisory Panel on Public Sector Information
	Better Regulation Task Force
	Civil Service Appeals Board
	Committee on Standards in Public Life
	House of Lords Appointments Commission
	Main Honours Advisory Committee
	Security Commission
	Security Vetting Appeals Panel
	Senior Salaries Review Body
	On 1 April 1997 the Cabinet Office was responsible for nine public bodies:
	Advisory Committee on Advertising (under the Central Office of Information)
	Advisory Committee on Business Appointments
	Better Regulation Task Force
	British Government Panel on Sustainable Development
	Citizen's Charter Panel of Advisers
	Civil Service Appeals Board
	Committee on Standards in Public Life
	Political Honours Scrutiny Committee
	Security Commission
	Detailed information can be found in the Public Bodies Directory (2004) which is available on the Internet at www.knowledgenetwork.gov.uk/ndpb/ndpb.nsf. Previous editions of the annual directory are available in the Libraries of the House.

China: North Korean Refugees

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether there is a common European Union policy on access for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to all refugees or illegal residents from North Korea who are living in China; and when the matter will next be discussed, bilaterally or multilaterally.

Lord Triesman: The EU has pressed for China to co-operate with the UN High Commissioner on Refugees and to apply the 1951 UN Convention on the Status of Refugees. These issues were discussed at the EU China Human Rights Dialogue, held in February 2005, which was attended by UK officials.

Committee on Standards in Public Life

Lord Bradshaw: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	On how many occasions during the past two years for which figures are available an individual has been disciplined or successfully prosecuted as a result of the activities of the Committee on Standards in Public Life; and how this compares with prosecutions of a similar nature in the two years immediately preceding the setting up of the committee; and
	On how many occasions during the past two years for which figures are available complaints have been made to the Committee on Standards in Public Life which may be classified as vexations, trivial or politically motivated, or have already been investigated by other bodies such as the Local Government Ombudsman or the District Auditor.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: The information requested is not held centrally and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Doughty Hanson/LM Glasfiber

Lord Hanningfield: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	On what occasions (a) the Prime Minister, and (b) the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry have met Mr Nigel Doughty or representatives or employees of Doughty Hanson/LM Glasfiber; what was the nature of any such meetings; and what matters were discussed.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: My right honourable friend the Prime Minister and my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry have meetings and discussions with a wide range of organisations and individuals. All meetings are conducted in accordance with the Ministerial Code.

Energy Policy Development

Lord Jenkin of Roding: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Statement by the Lord Sainsbury of Turville on 14 June (WS 54), when they expect to publish the recent Markal studies referred to on page 5 and note 13 of the Department for Trade and Industry's carbon abatement technology strategy report.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: We do not yet have a precise publication date but we expect to publish the Markal study results in September 2005.

Environmental Stewardship Scheme

The Duke of Montrose: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the costs for collecting the modulation deductions from the single farm payment scheme and the administrative and inspection costs for either the entry level or the higher level countryside stewardship scheme will be a charge against the funds raised; and what percentage of the funds raised by modulation these charges will represent.

Lord Bach: Neither the costs of collecting modulation, nor the administrative and inspection costs of the entry level and higher level strands of the environmental stewardship schemes will be funded from the money raised through modulation.

European Printed Papers

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: asked the Chairman of Committees:
	For the past twelve months for which figures are available, how many documents have appeared in the Demand Forms for European Printed Papers available to Members of both Houses of Parliament

Lord Brabazon of Tara: Between 1 June 2004 and 31 May 2005, 47 Demand Forms for European Printed Papers were issued, listing a total of 3,209 documents.

Food Security

Baroness Byford: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether any government department has held a conference on food security; and, if so, whether the proceedings are in the public domain.

Lord Bach: No government department has held such a conference.

Football Clubs: Ownership

Lord Morris of Manchester: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Davies of Oldham on 6 June (WA 44), whether their policy to protect and promote the interests of stakeholders was fully reflected and given effect to in the recent developments affecting the ownership of Manchester United Football Club.

Lord Davies of Oldham: There is not a public interest consideration for football under the Enterprise Act 2002 and the Government have no plans to introduce one. While the Government are committed to ensuring that all football clubs are run in the best possible way, issues of ownership are ultimately a matter for the football authorities and clubs to decide on.
	However, the Government are aware of the views held by a wide range of stakeholders and will continue to monitor developments affecting the ownership of Manchester United Football Club as appropriate.

G8: Climate Change

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether, as alleged in the Observer on 19 June, the United States Government has persuaded them to remove from the United Kingdom's submissions to the G8 action plan for Gleneagles next month reference to the fact that climate change is a serious threat to human health and to ecosystems, to delete any suggestion that global warming has started and to remove any suggestion that human activity is to blame for climate change; and, if so, what are their reasons for having acted in this way.

Lord Triesman: Climate change is the most important long-term threat we face. It does not respect national borders and demands a global response. Not all countries' responses come from the same perspective, but the United Kingdom's G8 presidency is an opportunity to agree on the need for urgent action to cut greenhouse gases, and to make real progress on the practical question of how we do this, now and in the future.
	G8 negotiations are ongoing and will not be completed until the summit. In the mean time, as usual, the Government do not comment on leaked documents.

Gaza: Israeli Withdrawal

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will ask Mr J Wolfensohn, the quartet's special envoy, to work to ensure that the Eretz Industrial Park, on the north side of Gaza, continues to function at maximum capacity.

Lord Triesman: As the quartet's (United Nations, European Union, United States, Russia) special envoy, Mr Wolfensohn's mandate is to focus on the economic aspects of disengagement, principally the revival of the Palestinian economy during and after Israeli withdrawal. Mr Wolfensohn is already working to develop a package of measures to make disengagement a success. We will discuss with Mr Wolfensohn's team what role he expects the Eretz Industrial Park to play in this. We fully support his work.

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many states parties to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights have accepted the first optional protocol to the covenant, enabling individual complaints to be made to the United Nations Human Rights Committee; and how many states parties, other than the United Kingdom, have not accepted the first optional protocol.

Lord Triesman: Some 105 states parties to the International Covenant for Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) have accepted the first optional protocol. 48 states parties, other than the United Kingdom, have not accepted the first optional protocol.

Military Exports

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether any permits for military exports to Somalia have been given in the past five years; and, if so, what consideration was given to the absence of a functioning government there.

Lord Triesman: All licences issued for exports to Somalia in the last five years have been for equipment destined for use by the UN or non-governmental humanitarian programmes under the exemptions allowed by the resolution. Somalia is subject to a UN arms embargo under United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 733 (1992) amended by UNSCR 1356 (2001) and 1425 (2002). Details of all licences issued can be found within the Government's Annual Report on Strategic Export Controls, available on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website at www.fco.gov.uk/Files/kfile/Full–Report–03.pdf.

Military Exports

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Why export permits for military goods have recently been given for Eritrea and Ethiopia; and whether the recent wars and the current uncertainty in the relationship between the two countries influenced the decision to issue permits.

Lord Triesman: All applications for the export of military-listed goods from the UK are rigorously assessed on a case-by-case basis against the consolidated EU and national export licensing criteria, taking full account of the prevailing circumstances at the time of application. This process includes specific criteria whereby we will not issue a licence where there is a clear risk that the proposed export might be used for internal repression or that the export may be used aggressively against another country. While we are unable to comment on specific licences, for reasons of commercial confidentiality, it should be noted that figures in the Strategic Export Controls Quarterly Reports 2004 for Ethiopia and Eritrea include transactions in support of international humanitarian missions, and goods intended for industrial use. The Strategic Export Controls Quarterly Reports 2004 for Ethiopia and Eritrea are available on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website at www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1089131553823.

NHS Estates

Baroness Noakes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Warner on 14 June (WA 122), whether any part of Inventures trading services will be disposed of to third parties, including the staff of Inventures; and, if so, what procedures they intend to follow to ensure that maximum value for money is obtained.

Lord Warner: The decision to close Inventures was published in An Implementation Framework for Reconfiguring the DH Arm's Length Bodies on 30 November 2004. Some of the residual assets of Inventures that have no use or value to the Department of Health have been sold to the former management in an effort to reduce closure costs. These include old computers, stationery, publicity material, web sites and trademarks.

NHS Trusts: Occupational Health Services for Staff

Baroness Finlay of Llandaff: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What percentage of National Health Service trusts and primary care trusts in England offer on-site occupational health services to staff.

Lord Warner: All National Health Service trusts must provide staff with access to occupational health services. This is not required to be on-site and information on the percentage of on-site provision is not centrally collected.
	Department of Health data confirmed that in 2003 all NHS trusts were meeting this requirement and there are currently 220 occupational health units in the NHS in England.

Operation TELIC

Lord Astor of Hever: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What proportions of the troops and equipment that were (a) returned from Iraq at the conclusion of Operation TELIC 6, and (b) deployed to Iraq for Operation TELIC 7 were transported by Royal Air Force aircraft.

Lord Drayson: Operation TELIC 6 forces are currently still deployed and Operation TELIC 7 forces have not yet deployed.
	The proportion of troops deployed for Operation TELIC 6 by Royal Air Force (RAF) aircraft was 47 per cent and by charter aircraft 53 per cent.
	The proportion of troops recovered from Operation TELIC 5 by the RAF was 70 per cent and by charter 30 per cent.
	The proportion of equipment deployed for Operation TELIC 6 and recovered from Operation TELIC 5 by RAF was less than 1 per cent in both cases, the balance being moved by sea.

Pension Protection Fund

Baroness Noakes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the Pension Protection Fund has published a statement of principles governing determinations of investments in accordance with Section 114 of the Pensions Act 2004; and, if not, when they expect such a statement to be published.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The board of the Pension Protection Fund will be publishing its first statement of investment principles shortly. This will set out the board's policy and principles for its initial investments—the investment of initial levy moneys paid into the fund.

Pension Protection Fund

Baroness Noakes: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the Pension Protection Fund intends to exercise voting rights attaching to equity stakes which are acquired in companies whose pension liabilities the Pension Protection Fund has assumed, or may assume; and, if not, what is the rationale for non-exercise of voting rights.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: The board of the Pension Protection Fund's policy on the exercising of rights attached to initial investments will be set out in its statement of investment principles which is to be published shortly and will be reviewed annually. The board will not be assuming any assets from pension schemes until April 2006 at the earliest. The board will continually review its policy on voting rights based on the nature of assets it holds and expects to hold and will reflect that policy in its statement of investment principles.

Pensions

Viscount Simon: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether all pensioners in receipt of a United Kingdom pension receive the same increases to their pensions irrespective of the country in which they live.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: No, because the UK state pension paid to pensioners living abroad is uprated only where there is a legal requirement or a reciprocal social security agreement to do so.

Sudan: Darfur

Lord Alton of Liverpool: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What criteria they used to establish that what has taken place in Darfur is not genocide; and in what ways such criteria differed from those used by the United States State Department, and the governments of Canada and Germany.

Lord Triesman: There is no doubt that violations of international humanitarian and human rights law have been committed in Darfur. We have consistently made clear that the perpetrators of these terrible crimes must be brought to justice.
	The UK applies the definition of genocide given in the International Criminal Court Act 2001. Under the Act, "genocide" is defined by reference to Article 6 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, as certain acts "committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group". This mirrors the language contained in the 1948 United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, particularly Article 2. The UK, Canada and Germany are party to the Rome Statute and, together with the US, to the Genocide Convention. It is up to individual countries to choose how to interpret and apply these definitions.
	The UK did not have sufficient evidence to judge whether the crimes perpetrated in Sudan were undertaken with the intent necessary to constitute genocide.
	For this reason, we pressed for the Secretary-General of the United Nations to establish an expert international commission of inquiry (ICI) to investigate reports, of violations of international humanitarian and human rights law in Darfur in 2004, and to determine whether genocide had occurred. The ICI's report, issued to the Security Council on 31 January 2005, concluded that the government of Sudan (GoS) did not appear to have pursued a policy of genocide in Darfur and that, while individuals may have done so, this was a determination which only a competent court could make. The conclusion that no genocidal policy had been pursued by the GoS in no way detracted from the gravity of the crimes committed, including crimes against humanity and/or war crimes. The UK played a leading role in sponsoring UN Security Council Resolution 1593 (2005) of 31 March, in which the Security Council referred the situation in Darfur to the International Criminal Court (ICC)—as recommended by the ICI. The prosecutor of the ICC announced a formal investigation on 6 June.

Sudan: Darfur

Lord Alton of Liverpool: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is their response to the calls of a group of former Foreign Ministers, including Madeleine Albright, Robin Cook, Lloyd Axworthy and Lamberto Dini, calling for an international peacekeeping force from NATO countries to be deployed in Darfur.

Lord Triesman: The Government remain concerned by developments in Darfur and strongly support the African Union's (AU) mission in Darfur (AMIS). The UN Secretary-General has noted that where the ALT has been deployed it has made a positive impact and ceasefire violations had starkly reduced. The expansion of the AU force from, 3,300 to more than 7,700, will allow better geographical coverage of Darfur, and should improve the security situation. Given this, the government policy is to support AMIS expansion, including through NATO and EU assistance for airlift training and equipment. The UK has announced that it will provide a further £19 million, which will be used primarily to purchase vehicles and equipment and fund (NATO co-ordinated) airlift support. The UK also stands ready to provide military and police experts in support of NATO and EU assistance. We do not believe there is a need for a NATO peacekeeping force, nor is there any support for this from African or NATO governments.

Sudan: Malnourished Children

Lord Alton of Liverpool: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What assessment they have made of the statement of the Catholic relief agencies Caritas and the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development that one in three of the children in receipt of food aid at their feeding station in Ed Dhein, Sudan is malnourished.

Lord Triesman: We agree that the malnutrition problem in Ed Daein is grave. Two nutritional surveys carried out in the region show a marked deterioration in the situation. A September 2004 survey carried out in Ed Daein by Save the Children showed that 11.9 per cent of those surveyed under-five years old were suffering global acute malnutrition (GAM), with 1.3 per cent suffering from severe acute malnutrition (SAM). A March 2005 survey by Tearfund, supported by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) showed that these rates had risen to GAM of 25.2 per cent and SAM of 4.3 per cent. GAM rates of 20 per cent or above or SAM rates of 5 per cent or above denote a crisis situation.
	Tearfund is providing intensive, clinical feeding to 190 children and providing additional high nutritive rations to 330 children in Ed Daein, though Tearfund expects that the figures will increase during the July to October hungry season. The World Food Programme (WFP) has also been distributing a supplementary ration, in addition to the general rations, in the area since the March assessment. The WFP vulnerability analysis and mapping team, in collaboration with the Italian NGO Alisei, has conducted a rapid needs assessment in the Asalaya area of Ed Daein. The results are expected shortly.

Sudan: Torture

Lord Alton of Liverpool: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What discussions have been held between the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Home Office about the position of Sudanese refugees facing torture in Sudan.

Lord Triesman: We hold regular discussions with the Home Office regarding the status of Sudanese nationals who could face torture in Sudan. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office provides regular updates and responds to specific requests from the Home Office on the situation and conditions in Sudan, which inform asylum caseworkers' decisions.
	Our embassy in Khartoum, both bilaterally and as part of the EU-Sudan dialogue, makes regular representations to the Sudanese Government on the need for them to abide by international humanitarian law, including international human rights treaties. We have also committed £7.2 million for a programme to reform the Sudanese judicial sector and ensure it complements Sudan's international human rights obligations, including by ratifying and implementing the UN Convention against Torture.

World Food Programme: North Korea

Lord Hylton: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will ask the government of North Korea to give access for the World Food Programme to the whole of their country.

Lord Triesman: We deplore the restrictions placed on the World Food Programme (WFP) by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) authorities which limit its monitoring of food aid in many areas of the DPRK, and we regularly urge the DPRK authorities to grant the WFP full, unrestricted access to all parts of the country. We work closely with the WFP and the resident aid community, and embassy staff travel frequently with the WFP on its limited monitoring missions.